Save Me

forty three

"You don't have to be afraid of them, I will protect you." He whispered in my ear.

We sat there for a while, in silence. The song played through my head. My hand in his, my head on his chest, I felt safe despite my fears of the world.

_______________

[Olivia's POV]

I cried into Anthony's chest for a while, he sat there and held me. It was cold but I didn't mind, his body heat was radiating into me keeping me warm.

He eventually took me back to the theater and walked me to my room. He sat with me for awhile, we just talked about random things.

"Do you think they will try to hurt me again?" I ask him, his head snapped up to look at me.

"I'm not going to let that happen." He says. I smile but I don't feel reassured, I am terrified that they will hurt me or something worse. I know that they are capable of doing it.

"You should probably go, it's getting late and I have school tomorrow." I say to him.

"Are you sure? I could stay with you if it makes you feel any safer." He suggests.

"No that's ok.. I just need to shower and get some sleep, I'll be fine." I reassure him.

"Ok, good night." He says, giving me a hug.

"Good night, and thank you." I say into his chest, his arms wrapped around my small frame.

He smiles and leaves. I shower and get changed, wearing a big t-shirt and athletic shorts.

I toss and turn in my bed for a while unable to fall asleep. I need air. I went down to the stage door and sat outside of it for a little bit, I was too scared to go into the city streets so I just sat in the doorway.

My phone buzzed in my hand, I looked at it and saw a message that froze my blood.

unknown number : Hello, Olivia. This is Trish. You will meet me at my house, I'm sure you remember where that is, tomorrow night at 11pm or else one of your new friends will wind up with a bullet in their chest. I really like that Anthony kid, maybe it will be him. Be there.

My pulse quickens, I want to tell the police but I am sure that she will hurt Anthony if I do that too. I have to do it. I cannot let Anthony get hurt. I have to be strong.

24 hours later.

I stand at the stage door, the bitter city air bites at my face. Although it is only the end of September, the nights are already reaching cold temperatures. I swing my backpack onto my back, inside I had packed my school stuff, a few t-shirts and jeans, and my toothbrush. The basic things that I know Trish will not care to provide.

I check my phone, 10:30 pm. I walk to the side of the streets and wave for a cab. I direct them to Trish's house, pay them for the ride and get out of the car. I walk up to the familiar door and knock 3 times.

The door opens, revealing Trish. She stumbles, clearly drunk.

She pulls me inside after looking to see if anybody followed me here. She dragged me up the stairs and into my old bedroom. The old mattress is still on the floor, the window now has a lock on it. She hits me in the face which knocks me to the ground.

"If you thought you had escaped us, you're in for a surprise bitch. You will never be taken from us again. And now.. Your life just got ten times worse than it used to be. You got my husband locked up but that won't stop me from finishing what he started." She slurs at me.

"Lin will know that I am gone. They will save me from you!" I yell at her.

"You know what will happen if they do." She says. "You know how easy it is to get a gun in the country?"

And with that she slammed the door, leaving me alone in a room I used to call mine.

Hello everyone, bet you thought you saw the last of that family? Yeeee.

- aibhlinn